Senate Study Bill 3013 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS BILL BY CHAIRPERSON BEALL) A BILL FOR An Act creating a veterans combat bonus for active duty 1 military service during certain military conflicts, making 2 an appropriation, and providing a penalty and tax exemption. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5675SC (2) 83 ec/nh

S.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 35A.8B Veterans combat bonus —— 1 penalty —— fund. 2 1. For purposes of this section, “eligible military service” 3 means any of the following: 4 a. Active duty military service at any time from August 24, 5 1982, through July 31, 1984, in which the veteran can establish 6 service in the conflict in Lebanon or Grenada. 7 b. Active duty military service at any time from December 8 20, 1989, through January 31, 1990, in which the veteran can 9 establish service in the conflict in Panama. 10 c. Active duty military service at any time between August 11 2, 1990, and November 30, 1995, both dates inclusive, in the 12 Persian Gulf Conflict, if the veteran earned a national defense 13 service medal for service in the Persian Gulf Conflict or can 14 otherwise establish service in the Persian Gulf Conflict during 15 that period. 16 d. Active duty military service at any time between October 17 24, 2001, and ending on the date the president or the Congress 18 of the United States declares a cessation of hostilities, 19 both dates inclusive, in the Afghanistan Conflict, if the 20 veteran earned an Afghanistan Campaign medal for service in the 21 Afghanistan Conflict or can otherwise establish service in the 22 Afghanistan Conflict during that period. 23 e. Active duty military service at any time between March 24 19, 2003, and ending on the date the president or the Congress 25 of the United States declares a cessation of hostilities, both 26 dates inclusive, in the Iraqi Conflict, if the veteran earned 27 an Iraq Campaign medal for service in the Iraqi Conflict or can 28 otherwise establish service in the Iraqi Conflict during that 29 period. 30 2. The executive director shall provide for the 31 administration of the bonus authorized in this section. The 32 department shall adopt rules, pursuant to chapter 17A, as 33 necessary to administer this section including but not limited 34 to application procedures and procedures for the investigation, 35 -1- LSB 5675SC (2) 83 ec/nh 1/ 4

S.F. _____ approval or disapproval, and payment of claims. 1 3. a. A person who served on active duty for not less 2 than one hundred twenty days in the armed forces of the United 3 States in eligible military service, and who at the time 4 of entering into active duty service was a legal resident 5 of the state of Iowa, and who had maintained the person’s 6 residence in this state for a period of at least six months 7 immediately before entering into active duty service, and was 8 honorably discharged or separated from active duty service, 9 or is still in active service in an honorable status, or has 10 been retired, or has been furloughed to a reserve, or has been 11 placed on inactive status, is entitled to receive from moneys 12 appropriated for that purpose the sum of seventeen dollars and 13 fifty cents for each month that the person was in eligible 14 military service. Maximum compensation for all periods of 15 eligible military service shall not exceed a total sum of five 16 hundred dollars. Compensation for a fraction of a month shall 17 not be considered unless the fraction is sixteen days or more, 18 in which case the fraction shall be computed as a full month. 19 b. A person is not entitled to compensation pursuant to this 20 section for a period of eligible military service if the person 21 received a bonus or compensation similar to that provided in 22 this section from another state for that period of service. 23 c. The surviving unremarried widow or widower, child or 24 children, mother, father, or person standing in loco parentis, 25 in the order named and none other, of any deceased person, 26 shall be paid the compensation that the deceased person would 27 be entitled to pursuant to this section, if living. However, 28 if any person has died or shall die, or is disabled, from 29 service-connected causes incurred during eligible military 30 service and in the area from which the person is entitled to 31 receive compensation pursuant to this section, the person or 32 the first survivor as designated by this paragraph, and in the 33 order named, shall be paid five hundred dollars, regardless of 34 the length of service. 35 -2- LSB 5675SC (2) 83 ec/nh 2/ 4

S.F. _____ 4. A person who knowingly makes a false statement relating 1 to a material fact in supporting an application under this 2 section is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. A person convicted 3 pursuant to this subsection shall forfeit all benefits to which 4 the person may have been entitled under this section. 5 5. All payments and allowances made under this section shall 6 be exempt from taxation, levy, and sale on execution. 7 6. The bonus compensation authorized under this section 8 shall be paid from moneys appropriated for that purpose. 9 7. A veterans combat bonus fund is created in the state 10 treasury under the control of the department. The veterans 11 combat bonus fund shall consist of all moneys appropriated 12 to the fund to pay the bonus compensation authorized in this 13 section. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, interest or earnings 14 on investments or time deposits of the moneys in the veterans 15 combat bonus fund shall be credited to the bonus fund. Section 16 8.33 does not apply to moneys appropriated to the veterans 17 combat bonus fund. 18 Sec. 2. VETERANS COMBAT BONUS FUND APPROPRIATION. There 19 is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the 20 department of veterans affairs for the fiscal year beginning 21 July 1, 2010, and ending June 30, 2011, the following amount, 22 or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purpose 23 designated: 24 For deposit in the veterans combat bonus fund: 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 500,000 26 EXPLANATION 27 This bill creates a veterans combat bonus for persons who 28 served on active duty in the United States armed forces during 29 the Lebanon or Grenada Conflict, the Panama Conflict, the 30 Persian Gulf Conflict, the Afghanistan Conflict, or the Iraqi 31 Conflict. Eligible persons may receive $17.50 for each month 32 that the person was on active duty during any of the conflicts 33 up to a maximum bonus of $500. The bonus payments are exempt 34 from taxation, levy, and execution. A criminal penalty is 35 -3- LSB 5675SC (2) 83 ec/nh 3/ 4

S.F. _____ provided for submission of a fraudulent application for the 1 bonus. The bill also appropriates $500,000 from the general 2 fund of the state for deposit in the veterans combat bonus fund 3 for payment of bonuses. 4 -4- LSB 5675SC (2) 83 ec/nh 4/ 4